Thursday 12/07/79
I had to go to Manchester for a job interview as a Catering Assistant in Manchester Victoria station for Travellers Fare.
47522 1147 York – Manchester
This was 15 minutes late start, as the incoming train ran late and it only had a 15 minute turnround at York – which was a bit ambitious for a loco-hauled set. After the interview I set about returning to York, but everything from the Liverpool direction was cancelled due to a gas leak at Rainhill. A Trans Pennine service staggered in behind failed 47271 and terminated, so the stock off that was used to form an 1810 Manchester Victoria – Newcastle relief.
45021 1810 Manchester Victoria – Leeds
We called at Stalybridge, Huddersfield, and Dewsbury, and still made it to Leeds in under an hour. On arrival at Leeds the train sat for some time, and was then cancelled, having originally been announced as a through train to Newcastle. Next 47522 arrived on what was possibly the 1605 ex Liverpool (arriving Leeds at 1935), and that too sat for some time with no crew. Finally the 1805 Liverpool – York rolled in with 47411, so I took that.
47411 1959 Leeds – York
It had taken me nearly 4 hours from Manchester Victoria to York. Not a good day.
Saturday 12/07/80
Having arrived at Holyhead behind a class 40 in the wee small hours, the best way to depart was behind a different class 40 as soon as possible!
40012 0125 Holyhead – Crewe
83011 0350 Crewe – Birmingham New Street
85039 0628 Birmingham New Street – Wolverhampton
86210 0700 Wolverhampton – Euston
I was hoping for something a little better than an 86/2, but I had no choice but to take it, as I had to report for my Saturday job as Train Trolley Caterer:
86229 1025 Euston – Crewe
Evidently the 1025 Euston – Llandudno got its diagrammed ETH class 47 forward from Crewe, so I alighted to refill my hot water urn from the station buffet. All I had to do now was catch a later train along the coast to intercept the 1605 Llandudno – Euston to finish off my diagrammed work:
40069 1418 Crewe – Chester (My machine!)
40094 1540 Chester – Rhyl
47462 1638 Rhyl – Crewe
86229 (again) 1809 Crewe – Euston
Tuesday 12/07/83
By now the ranks of class 40s were already heavily diminished by withdrawals, but there were still a good few knocking around, and I still needed one of the active locos for haulage. That was 40090, so when it dropped into my lap by working a schools’ charter from Rhyl to York I couldn’t say “No”!
40090 1800 York – Rhyl via Manchester Victoria
My 173rd class 40 for haulage – I could do no better.
47534 2201 Rhyl – Crewe
(Wednesday 13/07/83)
47468 0011 Crewe – Stockport
45133 0050 Stockport – York via Guide Bridge
Thursday 12/07/84
Still Working As Required at Leeds
46229 0835 York – Leeds via Harrogate (Scarborough Spa Express)
On arrival in the Control Office, I was met by a number of my former colleagues who were all looking very sombre and wearing black arm bands (fashioned from bin liners). I was told this was in remembrance of one of their colleagues who had worked hard in Leeds Control, but was now being exiled to live amongst the Heathens in the Frozen North i.e. Glasgow. This was their way of breaking the news to me that I’d got the job I’d applied for in Glasgow Control. Wow, life is going to change a bit in the coming weeks. First I’d better go home and break the (good?) news to the Domestic Authorities. Thankfully, at least that’s the end of all this “Work As Required” malarkey.
45139 1200 Leeds – York
Then later that evening it was time for more steam:
46229 1805 York – York via Leeds and Harrogate.
Friday 12/07/85
It had been a hellish late shift in the office, with three simultaneous class 37 failures on passenger trains on the West Highland Line, and a lot more going on besides. There were engineering works on the WCML in the Crewe area, so a relief overnight Glasgow Central – London train was running via Edinburgh to Kings Cross. It was allocated a pair of 27s from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh, and the route was unusual too, in that it was running via the R&C Line from Rutherglen via Carmyle to Coatbridge Central then north via Garnqueen Jn and Falkirk Grahamston. It had to be done, especially as required NB 27030 was one of the pair:
27002 + 27030 2355 Glasgow Central – Edinburgh Waverley (continued tomorrow) …
Saturday 12/07/86
47701 1330 Glasgow Queen Street – Edinburgh
After an early shift in Glasgow Control, the customary early changeover on a Saturday afternoon was much appreciated, since it allowed me to get across to Edinburgh to sample the class 37 I’d already allocated to the 1025 Scarborough – Glasgow. I’d also left a note for my late-turn colleague that under no circumstances was 27014 to be put on any passenger train, as it was a total unreliable wreck. (In fact it was so bad that it got to the stage where the Control Daily Log would have entries beginning “Today’s failure of 27014 took place at …” I think it was eventually traced to having some weird fungus growing in the fuel system, so the fuel tanks were removed and thoroughly cleaned. After that it worked OK). You can guess what comes next …
27014 1454 Edinburgh – Glasgow Queen Street
27014 vindicated my opinion of it when it shut down entirely in Queen Street tunnel whilst we were being held at signals. The driver couldn’t restart it, so when the signal cleared he simply released the brakes and gravity took over as we rolled silently into Queen Street station as if there was nothing wrong! Meanwhile there were some other attractions to be sampled:
37142 1603 Glasgow Queen Street – Stirling
This suffered a traction motor flashover 9 miles out of Queen Street. We came to a stand, then after some delay limped forward to Stirling with a pair of motors isolated. There a fitter arrived to ride forward with it. I decided that was enough for me – plenty more fish in the sea
37142 is now preserved at Bodmin.
https://bodmin-heritage-diesels.co.uk/home1/the-fleet/class-37142/index.html
47705 1720 Stirling – Glasgow Queen Street
Walk to Glasgow Central
DMU Glasgow Central – Stranraer
37170 2130 Stranraer – Paisley Gilmour Street
Tuesday 12/07/88
Today was the first day of Class 1 revenue earning traffic for Class 90, with 90003 working the 1340 Blackpool North – Euston forward from Preston, with the booked train loco 86413 being conveyed dead for insurance. The run was complicated by the fact that the southbound Trent Valley route was shut due to the derailment of 6A40 Speedlink service in the wee small hours, so the 90 was diverted from Stafford via Bushbury, Bescot and Aston.
90003 (+86413 dead) 1513 Crewe – Euston (route as noted above)
After that it was just a case of finding the most interesting way home:
85032 1814 Euston – Milton Keynes Central
86413 (the loco that had been towed by the 90) 1900 Milton Keynes Central – Stafford
85022 2009 Stafford – Wolverhampton
86411 2047 Wolverhampton – Crewe
Isn’t it strange to realise that class 90s have been in traffic for 33 years already!
